Today I met the new aneurysm doctor here in Maine, Dr. Ecker, and got the results back on the MRA of my annie.

Dr. Ecker is a real straight shooter and got straight to the point: The MRA showed a slight recanalization of the coiling in the aneurysm. That was a term Dave and I had
never heard, so Dr. Ecker took us to his office, showed us the MRA results and drew us a diagram on what was showing up on the MRA and what his concern was.

I’ll try to explain it without drawing it! Basically, either the aneurysm has slightly grown, or the coils have contracted and it has allowed some blood to flow into the aneurysm through the neck of the aneurysm. His words were that I had a “recanalization of the neck”. Of course, I was initially shaken. My fear has always been they’d discover another annie, not having an issue with my existing one, so this was a
surprise to say the least.

He wants me to have an angiogram now.mDr. Ecker said it wasn’t an emergency situation, so we’re waiting until January, after the holidays for that. He does the angiograms, he also does coiling and clipping operations. I’m thrilled he’s here in the state of Maine. He also appears to have experience with the by-pass surgery I’ve just recently read about.

Right now, there is no course of action until after he see the arteries and coiling on the angiogram. Right now, all of the things he mentioned were “if this….”, or “if that….”, so we need to see the results of the angriogram. Dave has done a lot of research online since we got home and is discovering it’s not that highly UNcommon for this to happen. Usually the recanalization occurs within the first two years after the coiling, so this is kind of unusual, but I feel confident Dr. Ecker will give us the best course of action. He’d either have to go in and insert more coils, which I’ve read several people have had to do on the message board, there’s a possibility I could have to have it clipped, which is a more serious operation, or he’d insert a stent inserted to block off the flow off blood there. Again…he can’t tell for certain what needs to be done until we do the angiogram.

He studied in Buffalo, was in the service as a medical surgeon in Japan, and after listening to an emergency call he took in his office while we were there, someone I would want fighting for me on the operating table. The risk factor for recoiling isn’t as extensive as my first coiling because it wouldn’t be because of a ruptured aneurysm and I’d be home from the hospital on the same day. The same risk factor would hold true
for the clipping, although it’s far more invasive and would probably require a long hospital stay.

I’m doing okay. Still processing this information. But I’ve always known I could be at risk, so we’ll just deal with what God deals me, when he deals it. I’m feeling good now, the Dr. didn’t feel it needed immediate attention, so we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, right?